Pedal-operated beating mechanism for drums



-Sept. 9, 1930. JUSTER 1,775,283

PEDAL OPERATED BEAT'ING MECHANISM. FOR DRUMS l Filed oet. 1o, 1927 v s sheets-sheet 1 Lkmwl Sept. 9, 1930. L. JUsTr-:R

PEDAL OPERATED BEATING MEGHANISM FOR DRUMS Filed Oct. lO. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 9, 1930.l L. JUSTER 1,775,283

PEDAL OPERATED BEATING MECHANISM FOR DRUMS Filed Oct. lO, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES LOUIS JUSTER, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA PEDAL-OPERATED BEATING MECHANISM FOR DRUMS Application filed October 10, 1927, Serial No. 225,243, and in Austria October 18, 1926.

This invention relates to a pedal operated mechanism for beating drums by means of which the larger drum and the smaller drum can be beaten, each one separately or both at 5 the same time by means of one foot of the musician.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows the total beating mechanism in front elevation, partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the operative element behind the section-plane being omitted.`

Figs. 3 to 8 show each'some co-operating operative elements of the mechanism, situated behind the section-plane 2-2.

Fig. 9 shows in side elevation a mechanism for operating auxiliary drum-sticks.

Fig. 10 is a top-plan-view, partly in section of parts of Fig.y 9.

On a base-plate 1 a vertical frame 2 is fixed. Two clamping screws 3 at the rear end of the base plate 1 serve for fixing the larger drum 4, indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2, and, to ensure a secure clamping they are inclined radially towards the centre ofthe drum (Fig. 1) On the front end of the base-plate 2 two pedals 5, 6 are mounted side by side oscillatable around a common axle 7 so that they canbeoperated separately or simultaneously. The pedal 5 (in Fig. 1 the left one) has in its upwardly bent front-end a transverse bolt 8, engaging with the fork 9, rigid to a bolt 10 mounted in the frame 2. To the bolt 10 the handle 11 of a beating ball 12, these two parts forming together a drum-stick, is fixed, said ball 12 being designed to beat the larger drum and to serve as main-drum-stick. A pull-spring 13, attached at the lower end to the base-plate 1 and at the upper end to said handle 11, maintains the main stick in the position of rest. An upwardly directed arm 14 of the pedal-lever 5 is designed to act upon a- Hap 15 of a three-armed lever 16, pivotally mounted on a bolt 17 in the frame 2. The threearmed lever 16 carries on its upwardly projecting arm a second beating-ball 18 designed to beat a smaller drum 4. The shaft or handle 19 of this second beating ball is lixed on the upwardly` projecting arm of lever 16 by a clamping screw 20 so that it can 'be adjusted in vertical direction. A pull-spring 21, attached at the lower end to the baseplate 1 and at the upper end to said threearmed lever 16, holds the second drum-stick in the position of rest, in which position the flap 15 is supported by the arm 14. The smaller drum 4 which is not shown, is held by means of clamping screws 23 in a horizontal frame 22 of the upright frame 2. When the pedal 5 is being depressed, the main beating-ball 12 strikes on the larger drum 4 and the second beating ball'18 is brought into the operative position.` When the pedal 5 is being released,the main drum-stick and with the saine the pedal is returned into the position of rest by the action of the spring 13, the second beating-ball 18, driven by the spring 21, beating then the smaller drum 4. The second drum-stick 18 can however be operated independently of the drum-stick of the larger drum by a depression of the second pedal 6. lVith this object in view a catch 24 is hingedly mounted on the downwardly projecting short arm of the three-armed lever 16 (as can be clearly seen from Fig. 3), said catch 24 being designed to act upon a flap 25 of the arm of middle-length of the three-armed lever 16. The catch 24 is hingedly connected to the pedal 6 by a link 26. When, therefore, the pedal 6 is operated, the catch 24 acting upon the flap 25 will oscillate the lever 16 and consequently bring the beating-ball 18 into the operative position, while at the depressing of the left lever 5 the catch 24 will oscillate idly around the hinge bolt of the link 24. When the right hand pedal 6 is more strongly depressed, other beating balls 27, 28 can be operated at the same time as the beating ball 16, said beating balls 27, 28 serving to produce a roll of the drum in beating subsequently on the skin of the smaller drum 4. The beating balls 27, 28 are mounted on slightly resilient shafts 29, 30 respectively, preferably made of steel string wire (Figs. 1 and Figs. 4 to 8), which preferably project beyond the beating balls and are mounted by their supports 31, 32 so that they can be adjusted in vertical direction to beat on the drum-skin at the desired distance from the centre of the same. The supports 31, 32 respectively of the drum-sticks 29, is fixed, by means of a bolt 33, 34 respectively, to an arm 35, 36 respectively (Figs. 5 and 7) which, by means of a bolt 37, 38 respectively is oscillatably mounted on an angular bracket 39, or 40 of the upright frame 2 and held in its position by means of a pressure-spring 41, 42 respectively and of a tightening screw 43, 44 respectively. By turning the thumb-nuts of these screws 43, 44 the arm 35 or 36, and through the same the corresponding rollbeating ball, is adjustedto regulate its distance from the skin of the smaller drum 4 according to requirement. A plate-spring 45 acts upon the lower end 31 of the auxiliary drum-stick 27 This plate-spring is fixed on a rocking lever 46, and its distance from the drum-stick and consequently the time at which it will act on this drum-stick can be regulated by an adjusting-screw 47 screwed through the rocking lever 46. The rocking lever 46 is pivotally fixed by a bolt 48 on the upright frame 2 and hingedly connected by the link 49 to the right hand pedal 6 (Figs. 4 and 5). When the pedal 6 is being depressed, the rocking lever 46 is moved upward, the plate-spring 45 making the beating ball 27 strike against the drum-skin, a pullspring 50 being put under tension at the same time. Owing to the resilient handle 29 the beating ball .27 will vibrate and produce the roll of the drum. TWhen the rocking lever 46 swings back, the support 31 of the drumstick 29 moves back also under the action of the spring 50. As soon as the lower end 31 has assumed its position of rest, the vibrating ,drum-stick 29 is braked by a transverse arm 51 fixed on the upright frame 2 and projecting onto the path along which said drumstick 29 can move. By lifting the rocker 46 the two roll-beating balls 28 are also operated. In the form of construction shown (Fig. 1 and Figs. 6 to 8) the drum sticks 30 of the two beating balls 28 have a common support 32, which is fork-shaped and held in the position of rest, shown in Figs. 6 and 7, by a pull-spring 52 so that it bears against a stopy 53. On the support 32 acts an arm 54 of the rocking lever 46 so that, at the depressing of the pedal 6, the two roll-beating balls 28 are moved away from the skin of the smaller drum 4. During this movement a braking arm 55 (Fig. 8) is oscillated at the same time and in the same direction as the beating balls 28, said brake-arm being mounted on a two-armed lever 56 whichV isk pivotally mounted on a bolt 57 on a supporting arm 36 and positively connected to the rocking lever 46 by means of a link 58. When Vthe pedal 6 is released, the roll-beating balls 28 beat,` under the action of springs 52, on the drum-skin, in remaining in vibrationl until they are. Stopped by the brake.

By the depression of the left pedal 5 the main drum-stick 11, and at the releasing of the pedal 5 the second drum-stick 19 are oscillated while, by depression of the right hand pedal 6, the second drum-stick 19 and the vibration balls 27 and 28 are operated. All drum-sticks might be operated simultaneously when both pedals 5, 6 are being depressed at the same time.

Figs. 9 and l0 show a simplified form of construction of the mechanism for operating the roll-beating balls. In this form of construction two beating balls 27 are mounted on a common support 59, which is of angular shape and at its apex pivotally mounted on a bolt60 of the upright frame 2. Vith the end 61 of the support 59 forming an eye, engages a vertical rod 62 mounted in a vertical bore 63 of the pedal-lever 6 and having an adjustable collar 64, designed to act upon the end 61. The support 59 is held in the position of rest shown by a pull-spring 65 and it has an axially projecting tappet 66, designed to act upon the angular support 67 of the rollbeating balls 28. This support 67 is loosely mounted on a bolt 60 and pulled by avpullspring 69 so that its vertical arm 68 bears By adjusting accordingly the screw -71 the Y support 67 will remain atrest when the pedal 6 is only slightly depressed so that only the beating-balls 27 are operated. By the counter weight 68 the amplitude of the vibration of the beating-balls 28 may be altered accord-- ing to requirement. When the pedal 6 is strongly depressed, the counterweight 68 overcomes the raction of the pull spring 69 and the support 67 carries out an oscillation of greater amplitude than that of support 59 so that the beating-balls 28 vibrate ener-` getically. When, however, the pedal 6 is only slightly depressed, the counter weight 68 remains ineffective and the beating-balls 28 vibrate in a normal measure. ln this form of construction the braking device for the beat- Y ing ballsV 28 is also simplified. It consists merely of an angular arm 72, fixed to the support 59, and which, as soon as the support arrives in its position of rest, stops the beating-balls 28.

I claim 1. A drum beating mechanism operated by pedal, comprisingv in combination with a larger drum and with a smaller drum a pedal lever, a `main drum stickvfor the larger drum,

a subsequently acting drum stick for the smaller drum, means for positively connecting said second mentioned drum stick with said irst mentioned drum stick so that said second mentioned drum stick is oscillated at the operation of the main drum stick by the depression of said pedal into a position ready for the beating, and a pull spring which is extended at the oscillation of said main drum stick so that it makes this second mentioned drum stick beat the smaller drum when said main drum stick is returning into its position of rest.

2. A drum-beating mechanism as specified in claim l, comprising in combination with the main drum stick for the larger drum the pedal for this main drum stick and a drum stick for the smaller drum, a pedal for said drum stick for the smaller drum, means for connecting said second mentioned pedal with said drum stick for the smaller drum in such a manner that both drum sticks are oscillated, the main drum stick into the beating position and the drum stick for the smaller drum into the position ready for use by depression of the pedal for the main drum stick as well as by the simultaneous depressing of both pedals, the drum stick for the big drum remaining however at rest at the depression of the pedal -for the drum stick for the smaller drum.

3. A drum-beating mechanism as specified in claim l, comprising in combination with the main drum stick Jfor the larger drum the pedal for this main drum stick and a drum stick for the smaller drum, a pedal for said drum stick for the smaller drum, a pivot axle of said drum stick for the smaller drum, an abut-ment fixed on the pedal for the main drum stick, an abut-ment connected with the pedal for the drum stick for the smaller drum, and an arm rigid with said pivot axle projecting on the paths of said two abutments so that the. drum stick for the smaller drum can be oscillated into the position ready for besting by the depression of any of said two e als.

p 4i. A drum-beating mechanism as specified in claim l, comprising in combination with the main drum stick for the larger drum the pedal for this main drum stick and a drum stick for the smaller drum, a pedal for said drum stick for the smaller drum, and several auxiliary drum sticks arranged so that at the depressing of said second mentioned pedal they are brought into the position ready for beating.

5. A drum-beating mechanism as specified in claim 1, comprising in combination with the main drum stick for the larger drum the pedal for this main drum stick and a drum stick for the smaller drum, a pedal for said drum stick for the smaller drum, and several resilient auxiliary drum sticks consisting each of an elastic wire and of a beating ball the main drum stick for the larger drum the pedal for this main drum stick and a drum stick for the smaller drum, a pedal for said drum stick for the smaller drum, several resilient auxiliary drum sticks consisting each of an elastic wire and of a beating ball fixed on said wire at a certain distance below the top end of the same said auxiliary drum sticks being arranged so that at the depressing of said second mentioned pedal they are brought into the position ready for beating, and an abutment project-ing into the path of the drum sticks for the roll-beating for braking said drum sticks when they are released after having been operated by said second mentioned pedal.

7. A drum-beating mechanism as specified in claim 1, comprising in combination with the main drum stick for the larger drum the pedal for this main drum stick and a drum stick for the smaller drum, a pedal for said drum stick for the smaller drum, several resilient auxiliary drum sticks consisting each of an elastic wire and of a beating ball fixed on said wire at a certain distance below the top end of the same said auxiliary drum sticks being arranged so that at the depressing of said second mentioned pedal they are brought into the position ready for beating, and means for regulating the length of said auxiliary drum sticks to make their beating balls act onto the drum skin from different distances.

8. A drum-beating mechanism as specified in claim 1, comprising in combination with the main drum stick for the larger drum the pedal for this main drum stick and a drum stick for the smaller drum, a pedal for said drum stick for the smaller drum, several resilient auxiliary drum sticks consisting each of an elastic wire and of a beating ball fixed on said wire at a certain distance below the top end of the same said auxiliary drum sticks being arranged so that at the depressing of said second mentioned pedal they are brought into the position ready for beating, a common support for said auxiliary drum sticks, a spring :tor braking said support, and a weight on said support for overcoming the action of said spring when said second mentioned pedal is strongly depressed whereby the vibration of said auxiliary drum sticks is increased.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature.

LOUIS JUSTER. 

